Improvement in seed-planters



2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.v A. J. WEST. Seed-Planter.

No. 205,020. Patented June 18, I878.

' "ATTORNEYS.

I-PEI'ERS, PHOTO-UTHDGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D.

UNITED STATES PATENTQFFIGE.

ARNOLD J. WEST, OF WVESTS MILLS, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEED-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 205,020, dated June 18,1878 application filed April 6, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARNOLD J. User, of Wests Mills, in the county ofSaginaw and State of Michigan, have invented a new and ImprovedSeed-Planter, of which the following is a specification:

Figure l is a plan view of my improved seed-planter. Fig. 2 is avertical transverse section taken on line 00 a in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is avertical transverse section taken on line 3/ yin Fig 1. Fig. 4 is aninverted plan view.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The invention will first be described in connection with the drawing,and then pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawing, A is the frame, which supports all of theworking parts of the machine, and is itself supported by an axle, 1),upon which wheels E F are placed. The wheel E is loose on the axle, andthe wheel F is secured to it for imparting motion to the axle anddriving the moving parts of the machine.

A semi-cylindrical seed-box, G, is mounted on the frame A, and isdivided by two partitions, a, into three compartments, b b c. The middlecompartment 0 is provided with a chute, d, which inclines from thecenter downward toward the end compartments 1) b, and the compartment 0communicates with the compartments 1) through the smallapertures e inthe partitions a, near the bottom of the seed-box.

Above the semi-cylindrical seed-box, andconcentric therewith, a shaft,H, is journaled in standards I, that project from the frame A. Upon thesaid shaft there aretwo bosses, f, one over each compartment 1), andinto each boss four equidistant bifurcated radial arms, g, are screwed.These arms nearly touch the curved sides of the seed-box G, and in theirforked outer ends buckets h are pivoted. The pivots on which the bucketsswing extend across the bottom of the buckets, so that the bucketsassume a vertical position, except when they dip into the compartmentsI), when they follow the curved inner surface of the seed-box. Seedsplaced in the middle oompartment 0 pass through the holes 6 into thecompartments 1), and partly fill them.

The buckets h, as they are rotated, dip the seed from the seed-boxes andcarry it to the funnels 11, secured to the rear side of the seedbox. Thebuckets, as they pass over the edge of the-seed-box, are inverted overthe funnel, thereby emptying every particle of seed. A spur-wheel, J, issecured to the shaft H, and takes itsmotion through an intermediatewheel, K, from the spur-wheel L on the axle D.

a stud, Z, that projects from the'side of the disk m on the shaft N.

Below the frame A there are two series of curved bars, a a. These curvedbars are pivoted between ears 0, that project downward from the frontbar of the frame A. The curved bars n are shorter than the bars a, andthe long and shortbars are arranged in alternation.

To the rear ends of the longer curved bars cultivator-teeth p aresecured. The said teeth are mortised near the middle to receive the endsof the bars, and are drilled transversely to receive a rod or long bolt,g, which passes through all of the cultivator-teeth and through the barsa, and also through thimbles r, placed between the teeth. The upper endsof the teeth are braced by curved braces s, which receive the rod t,that passes through the upper ends of the'teeth p, and are secured tothe arms a by the rod 11, which passes through the whole series of barsand braces, and the pairs of rods and braces are kept a proper distanceapart by thimbles w.

The teeth 19 are mortised and secured to the short curved bars a bymeans of the rod (1', which passes through all of the teeth 1), and alsothrough the curved bars at. These teeth are further secured by braces s,which are received by the rod. Two of the forward set of teeth 1) arehollow, or of drill-tooth form, and are located immediately below thefunnels i, so that they receive the seed discharged into the said funneland deliver it to a furrow formed by the drill-tooth. The drill-teethare provided with a double share, which raises the earth and allows itto drop back into the furrow and cover the seed.

A rock-shaft, a, which is journaled in boxes on theframe A, has an arm,I), that is engaged by a cam, d, on the shaft H. The rock-shaft a isalso provided with two rearwardly-projecting arms, 0'. A cross-bar, f,is supported by these arms, and arms 9 project downward from the ends ofthe bar f to receive the markers or tampers h, which are jointed to thesaid arms g. These markers have circular feet '6, which press upon theearth over the corn to insure the perfect covering of the hill and toform a mark which indicates the location of the hill.

The joints by which the markers h are connected with the arms g areshouldered, so that the markers can swing only in one direction theobject of swinging being to allow the marker to free itself from thehill immediately on making the mark, so that dragging and scraping ofthe earth are avoided.

The rock-shaft N is provided with two sheaves, j, one at each end, forreceiving chains or ropes Ia, which are attached to the rod thatconnects the braces s and the teeth 1). The.

shaftN is also provided with a lever, Z, which moves between two curvedbars, m, attached to the frame A. There are holes through the curvedbars and also through the lever, to receive a pin, n, which holds thelever in any required position.

By means of this device the drill and culti vator teeth may be adjustedto any height.

The planter is provided with an ordinary drivers seat, 0, and isprovided with a tongue, by which it may be drawn forward. It plants theseed regularly and covers it well, leaving the soil in good condition.

By increasing the number of compartments b, bucket-arms g, anddrill-teeth, the machine ARNOLD J. WEST.

Witnesses:

J. W. RoBINsoN, MARGARET LEW'IS.

